CEO Report
CEO: Samantha Kolasa
At Glen Education, we are constantly striving to improve. We have a genuine commitment to being innovative, to being progressive, dynamic, responsive, and relevant. As you have no doubt heard in the media, there are significant changes happening within the early childhood sector that will continue to be rolled out for the next nine years. It is really pleasing to see such an investment in our children, as we know this will help set them up for greater success in their later years.
Operating within a time of constant change can be challenging. Sometimes there are mixed messages, policy may look great on paper, but be difficult to implement. It can be costly – even with Government funding. We are having constant conversations within the workplace about how we can continue to provide high quality services to our children and families amidst the flurry of activity that is happening in the external, political environment.
One thing that remains a constant for us however is our desire to always exceed expectations. Having a mindset that exceeds expectations means that every task or situation is viewed as an opportunity to go above and beyond what is expected. Exceeding expectations is not just about taking our base expectations up a notch. In many situations it is easy to do better than expected, but to exceed, we know that we need to give that “wow” factor. For us at Glen Education, it means being proactive and always being open to new ways of working so that we can continually go above and beyond.
Within the early childhood sector, each service is assessed under the National Quality Standards. Services are rated as ‘working towards’, ‘meeting’ or ‘exceeding’ the standards. Glen Education has the proud record of being the only Early Years Manager in Victoria to have had every service assessed under its management as rated as exceeding. That is not by accident. Each and every day, the staff go above and beyond to demonstrate exceeding practice. The Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) is the body responsible for rating and assessing services. They define exceeding practice around three key themes:
- Exceeding practice is Embedded in service operations
Practice is embedded in service operations when it occurs consistently, frequently and intentionally as part of an ongoing process that is understood and implemented by all educators across all aspects of the program.
- Exceeding practice is Informed by critical reflection
Critical reflection involves a deep level of regular and ongoing analysis, questioning and thinking that goes beyond evaluation and review. Critical reflection informs practice when the continuous reflection of all educators, individually and together, influences decision-making and drives continuous quality improvement.
- Exceeding practice is shaped by meaningful engagement with families and/or the community
Practice is shaped by meaningful engagement with families and/or the community when educators actively seek input, guidance and feedback from children, families and the community. Meaningful engagement with families and/or the community helps to shift thinking, shape ongoing practice and foster a culture of inclusiveness and sense of belonging for all.
In addition to the three themes, the National Quality Standards consist of seven key areas as follows:
- Educational Program and Practice
- Children’s Health and Safety
- Physical Environment
- Staffing Arrangements
- Relationships with Children
- Collaborative Partnerships with Families and Communities
- Governance and Leadership
As the CEO of an organisation that comprises many brilliant staff trained in early childhood (or other areas of expertise), I rely on my staff to exceed in their specialty area. I am not early childhood trained, yet I have the privilege of being in a position where my staff know more about exceeding the National Quality Standards than I do. They are experts in pedagogy, and I learn from them each day. My role is not to master a new specialty, but instead to focus on relationships. Not to tell, but to work with the knowledge and wisdom I have around me to collectively arrive at the answer. My role is to enable things to happen within the organisation – and this is particularly important given the changes within the sector. It is my role to know what is going on and to see the bigger picture. That is what enables exceeding practice.
Our term two newsletter is filled with examples of exceeding practice from across our 17 services. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I do.
